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A Stakeholder in the Fight

HJ Ingram describes cancer as a “way of life” for her family. The Huntsville, Ala., woman lost her daughter to the disease, just a few years after her husband and his sister battled it.

Determined to fight back against cancer, the Relay For Life volunteer is taking her fight to another level, by becoming an American Cancer Society research stakeholder. Ingram will be a part of the Society’s grant review process for a two-year term to help decide which of more than 1,600 applications received each year are worthy of funding.

“These stakeholders ensure that every one of the hundreds of research proposal we review is considered not only by scientists, but by those directly impacted by progress in cancer research,” said Alan Thorson, M.D., American Cancer Society National Board of Directors volunteer. “Their voice is a much welcome addition to these panels, which also include top experts in the field of cancer research and clinical medicine.”

“Being a stakeholder is such an honor,” said Ingram. “I’ve always known research was important to the cancer fight.”

This is actually the second time Ingram has volunteered in research efforts. Last year, she managed the Cancer Prevention Study-3 enrollment site at the Relay For Life of Huntsville event. She knows efforts in the lab and out in the community impact everyone.

Ingram is excited to now take a “hands on” role in the American Cancer Society research program, which has funded more than three billion dollars in projects across the nation since the 1940s. This is her way of helping others through a time which can often be difficult for her to remember. “Being a servant takes the focus off me. I am a different person because of our cancer experience. I hope a better person,” said Ingram.